Bridle.



.I. M. WALSH.

BRIDLE.

APPLICATION FILED MAR. 10. 1915. RENEWED FEB. 19,19u1.

1,280,910. Patented Oct. 8, 1918.

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UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE.

JAMES WALSH, or MILWAUKEE, WISCONSIN, ASSIGNQR T0 WALSH HARNESS COMPANY,or MILWAUKEE, WISCONSIN, A CORPORATION OF wIscoNsIN.

BBIDLE.

Specification of Letters Patent.

Patented Oct. 8, 1918.

Application filed March 10 1915 Serial NO. 13,307. Renewed February 19,1918. Serial ;No. 218,181.

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that 1,, JAMES M. WALSH, a

citizen of the United States, residing at Milwaukee, in the county ofMilwaukee and State of Wisconsin, have invented certain new and usefulImprovements in Bridles, of which the following is aspecification,reference being had to the accompanying drawing, forming a part thereof.

The main Objects of this invention are to facilitate adjustment tohorses of different sizes or having heads and necks of different sizesand forms; to reduce the quantity of leather required for a bridle; toeliminate billets or perforated strap ends for buckles, which not onlyrequire ,extra leather for adjustment, but also weaken the strapsconeral figures.

Figure 1 is a perspective view (of a bridle embodying the invention,partsof the front blind or winker and of the front .cheek plate of thebit :being broken away; Fig. 2 is an enlarged vertical section ,Of ;the,throat latch buckle and part of the gag strap; Fig. 3 is;afrontelevation on; a smaller scale of the adjustable ,throat latchfasteningand associated gag runner; Fig. 4 isan enlarged sectionaldetail of the adjustable connection between the bit and cheekstrapon oneside of the bridle; Fig.5 is a sectional detail view showing one of themetal ,rings or fittings for ,connecting the nose and cheek straps ofthe bridle; Fig. ,6 is a detail view on ,a larger scale of the lower.end .of one of the chains connecting the .cheek straps with the bit;Fig. 7 is a horizontal section on the line .77, @F'ig. g4, ofone of thecheek plates or pieces of the bit; and RF ig. -8 is a View similar toFig. 3, of a modified arrangement of the adjustable throat latchfastening and associated parts.

The bridle comprises cheek bands or straps a, formed integrally ofleather, with blinds or winkers Z), a crown band or strap 0 inseparablyconnected at the ends by metal rings or fittings d with the upper endsof the cheek bands or straps and with the front or brow band or strap a,a nose band Or strap f, inseparably connected at the ends by metal ringsor fittings 9 with the lower ends of edges of the leather between andparallel with its opposite faces. After the reinforcing wires have beenthus inserted in the leather, the blinds are pressed between dies intoconcavo-convox form as indicated by theshading in ,Fig. 1, the wiresbeing sufficiently annealed to retain the form into which they are bent.

The upper links ofthe chains y are looped around the lower cross bars ofthe rings 9 and are thus pivotally and inseparably con nected with thelower ends of the cheek straps a. The check plates i are formed on theupper sides, as shown in Figs. 1 and i, with outwardly anddownwardlybent books ,1, with which corresponding links of the chains ,7' onopposite sides of the bridle are engaged, thereby adjustably connectingthe bit with the cheek straps and providing for lengthening andshortening the bridle for horses of different sizes or having heads ofvdifferent lengths.

The hooks Z are bifurcated, as shown in Fig. l, and dogs m are pivotedtherein to retain the links on the hooks in engagement therewith, asshown in Fig. 4. Below the hooks -Z the plates i are formed on the Outersldes with guideways or keepers n, for confining-the lower ends of thechains 7' and preventing them from rattling and Wearing. These guidewaysare formed at the sides, as shown in Figs. 4: and 7, with grooves 0,which are open at their lower ends and closed at their upper ends, andthe lower links of the chains have their cross bars extended to formlateral projections 19, which enter these 7 grooves from the lower endsand by engagement with the closed upper ends thereof, prevent accidentalseparation of the bit fromthe chains in case the'chainsare disengagedfrom the hooks Z. The plates 2' are formed, as shown in Fig. 1, at thesides of the guideways a with a series of openings 9 for adjustableattachment to the bit of the reins r and check 8, which are provided attheir ends with hooks t and u.

For the sake of appearance the openings 9 are symmetrically formed onboth sides of the guideways n, and the guideways are of reticulatedconstruction corresponding with the links of the chains.

A strap or band '22, designated the gag strap and made in a single pieceor in two sections stitched or otherwise fastened to check 8 are guided,as shown in Figs. 1 and 3. One of the gag runners is formed at its lowerend wlth an eye y, and the other with a loop a. The throat latch 2, isprovided at one end with a hook 3, for detachable en gagement with theeye '1, and at the other end with a buckle or fastening for adjustablyconnecting it with the gag strap 4) 0n the opposite side of the bridle,as shown in Figs. 1 and 3. This buckle or fastening preferably consists,as shown in Figs. 1, 2 and 3, of a plate 4:, formed on opposite sideswith ears 5, between which the gag strap a; is guided, and a loop orring 6 formed with a cross bar around which the end of the throat latchis looped and fastened, and with a sleeve 7 pivotally mounted on a crosspin between the ears 5. The sleeve 7 is formed on the side toward theplate 4C approximately at right angles to the sides of the ring'o, withtwo studs 8, adapted to engage with any pair of two series 'of holes inthe gag strap 1) when the ring 6 is turned down against or parallel withsaid strap. The gag strap 4) or the perforated end thereof, is madeenough Wider than the throat latch 52, to providethe same cross sectionexclusive of the buckle holes and give it the same strength as thethroat latch. The end of the throat latch to which this adjustablefastening is attachedmay be placed inside of the gag strap 12, as shownin Fig. 3, and as Viewed from the front of the bridle, or thearrangement reversed, as shown in Fig. 8,

and as viewed from the rear of the bridle, the throat latch passingoutwardly through the gag runner frame between the pulley w and thecross bar above it towhich the gag strap a) is fastened. T The latterarrangement is preferable, as it facilitates the ad justment of thethroat latch when the bridle is on the head of a horse.

To change the adjustment of the throat latch, the ring 6 is turned upand awayfrom the gag strap '0, therebywithdrawingthe and therebyengaging the studs 8 with the opposite pair; of holes. 7

The'shank of the hook 3 is formed, as shown in Fig. l,"with an opening,and the hook is so shaped that inorder to engage it with or remove itfrom the eye y, thesh ank has to'be'turned up intoa position transverseto the plane of the gag-runner. Accidental disengagement of the hookfrom the eye is thus prevented without using a spring or other retainingmeans.

All the metal fittings of the bridle, such as the rings (Z and g, thehooks t and u, the gag runners w, the hook 3 and the ring 6, having barson which leather straps are looped and fastened as shown in Fig. 5, areformed at the ends of such cross bars with guards t), which lieclose tothe opposite edges of the straps, and between said guards withantifriction tongues 10, which lie between the folds of the strap ends.The guards9 prevent the straps from" slipping lengthwise of the barsaround which they are looped, and the tongues 10 prevent'the'm fromturning thereon. Friction and wear between the leather and metal arethus avoided, and the life of the bridle is materially prolonged.

All billets or loose strap ends and leather or other loops areeliminated in the construction of the bridle, thereby effecting amaterial saving of leather and improving the appearance of the bridle.

With the exception of one section or end of the gag strap 17, andthebuckle or fastening for adjustably connecting the throat latchtherewith, perforation and weakening of the leather for the fasteningand adjustment of buckles having tongues, according to the usualpractice in making harness, are also avoided, thereby further increasingthe strength and durability of the bridle.

The chains j, besides providing 'for'the adjustment of the length of thebridle, afford means for the adjustment of the length ofthe check .9,the hooks a being engaged for this purpose with any of the, links of thechains between the cheek straps a and the hooks Z. The hooks tof thereins may also be connected with any of the links of the chains abovethe hooks Z, to relieve horses havin sore 0r tender mouths from more orless of the pull on the reins.

Various changes in minor details of construction and arrangement ofparts may be made without departing from th principle and scope of theinvention as defined in the following claims.

I claim:

1. In a bridle the combination of check straps, chains connected withsaid straps, and a bit having cheek pieces provided with means foradjustably fastening the bit to said chains and with guideways formingkeepers for confining the surplus portions 0 the chains in lace.

2. In a. bridle the combination of check straps provided with metalrings at their lower ends, chains connected at one end with said ringsand provided at the other end with links having stop projections, and abit provided with cheek pieces having on the upper sides hooks withwhich links of the chains are detachably engaged to vary the length ofthe bridle and formed with guideways -for the chains below the hooks,the upper ends of the guideways being restricted to engage with the stopprojections on the chains and prevent their withdrawal upward from thecheek pieces.

3. In a bridle the combination of check straps, chains connected attheir upper ends with the lower ends of said straps and having stopprojections at their lower ends, and a bit provided at the ends withcheek pieces having hooks on their upper sides for adjustable connectionof the chains with the bit and formed with a series of openings foradjustable attachment of reins and below the hooks with guideways forthe chains, the upper ends of the guideways being restricted to preventthe withdrawal of the chains upwardly from the cheek pieces.

4:. In a bridle the combination with the crown strap, of a gag strapattached to the crown strap, gag runners attached to the ends of the gagstrap, and provided one with an eye and the other with a loop, and athroat latch provided at one end with a hook, passing loosely throughthe loop of one gag runner, and adjustably connected at the other endabove the gag runner with the gag strap.

5. In a bridle the combination with the crown strap, of a gag strapattached to the crown strap thereof and provided at the ends with gagrunners one of which is formed with an eye and the other with a loop,said gag strap being formed adjacent to one end with two roWs of holes,a throat latch passing through said loop and pro vided at on end with ahook for detachable engagement with the eye, and a fastening adjustablyconnecting the other end of the throat latch with the gag strap andcomprising a plate having ears on opposite sides between which the gagstrap is guided and a ring having a cross bar around which the end ofthe throat latch is looped and fastened and another cross member pivotedto said plate between its ears and provided with studs adapted to enteropposite holes in the gag strap when the ring is turned down.

6. In a bridle the combination with the cheek straps, of chainsconnected at their upper ends with the lower ends of the cheek straps, abit having cheek pieces formed on the upper sides with outwardly anddownwardly bent forked hooks to engage opposite links of the chains andbelow the hooks with guides for the chains, and dogs pivoted in theforked ends of the hooks and adapted to turn inwardly and downwardlyagainst the cheek pieces for holding the chains on the hooks.

7. In a bridle the combination with the cheek straps, of chainsconnected at their upper ends with the lower ends of said straps, a bithaving cheek pieces provided with outwardly and downwardly projectinghooks for engagement With opposite links of the chains and with keepersbelow the hooks for confining the surplus portions of the chains inplace, and means for locking the chains in engagement with said hooks.

In witness whereof I hereto aflix my signature in presence of twowitnesses.

JAMES M. WALSH.

Witnesses:

J OE Joan, A. H. FLATLEY.

Copies of this patent may be obtained for five cents each, by addressingthe Commissioner of Patents, Washington, D. C.

